Tacky tape dispenser with tape straightening means



T. H. KRUEGER EIAL 2,849,065

Aug. 2 1958 TACKY TAPE DISPENSER WITH TAPE STRAIGHTENING MEANS 3 sheets sheet 1 Filed May 10, 1954 3 nven tors 3 500095 A! Kieusaae fVEfETT 1S J'HA/P Gttornegs s- 1958 T. H. KRUEGER ETAL 2,349,065

TACK? TAPE DISPENSER IITH TAPE STRAIGHTENING MEANS Filed lay 10, 1954 3 She'tS-Sheet 2 5 3nnentors A zPusas/e IVA/9P5 attorneys s- 1958 1. H. KRUEGER ETAL 2,849,055

'mcmr ms: mspsnsrza wrm TAPE swam-mums MEANS Filed lay 10. 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 {a m a m m r m 55. mm g m V E M United States Patent Ofifice TACKY TAPE DISPENSER WITH TAPE STRAIGHTENING MEANS Theodore H. Krueger, Stratford, and Everett E. Sharpe,

Shelton, Conn., assignors to Better Packages, Incorporated, a corporation of New York Application May 10, 1954, Serial No. 428,550

Claims. (Cl. 16439) This invention relates to dispensers for pressure sensitive adhesive or tacky tape, and particularly to dispensers in which tape is drawn from the supply roll by feed discs to which the tape adheres. The tape is detached from the feed discs by stripper or peeler members which, in the form of the invention shown, are toothed discs located in the spaces between the feed discs, the peripheries overlapping the peripheries of the feed discs and which are rotated at a greater peripheral speed than the feed discs, thereby pushing the tape away from the feed discs. Machines of this general type are shown in McCarthy pat ents, No. 1,972,850 and No. 1,972,851.

It has been found that in this type of machine, where each series of feed discs and peeler discs is mounted upon its own shaft, the centers of the respective shafts cannot be closer together than a distance slightly greater than the radius of the smaller discs if the discs are of different diameters. This makes the angle between the tangents to the two sets of discs at their point of intersection so acute (about 90) that the tendency is for the peeler discs to impart to the tape, as the teeth come in contact therewith, a continuous series of sharp bends or creases which form a sharp curl in the tape as it emerges from the dispenser, the adhesive coating on the tape being on the outside of the curl. Left to itself the tape quickly forms a tube and is either unuseable or at best difiicult to handle. The principal object of the present invention is to keep the tape from curling in this objectionable manner, and to cause it to issue from the machine in a substantially straight or uncurled condition.

In accordance with the present invention the foregoing object is achieved by providing means for applying a drag or tension upon the tape as it leaves the feed discs. This has two eflFects. In the first place, the application of the drag or tension tends to straighten the tape, and secondly the tension tends to draw the tape away from its engagement with the peripheries of the feed discs before it is dram sharply into the tangent angle at the point of overlap or intersection of the peripheries of the feed discs and peeler discs. In the particular example of the invention illustrated, this drag or tension is applied to the tape by means of a pressure pad which is so mounted as to press the tape into contact with the peripheries of the peeler discs which are moving faster than the tape, at a point beyond the point of intersection of the disc peripheries. The tape cannot adhere tightly to the peeler discs because of their higher speed, but it tries to adhere and the constant slippage produces a sufiicient drag or pull to have a decided stretching and straightening effect and effectively prevents the objectionable curling above referred to.

Among subsidiary objects of the invention are the provision of a pressure pad and mounting therefor which are best adapted to press the tape against the peeler discs; to provide means for mounting the pressure pad assembly so that it can be readily moved out of position to permit cleaning of the peeler discs and reloading; to provide an improved mounting for the cutter by which the tape. is

Z,849,%5 Patented Aug. 26, 1958 severed when it is removed from the machine; to provide a cutter guard to prevent danger of cutting the fingers when the pad and cutter assembly are moved to inoperative position; and to provide improved means for mounting slitter blades when used.

Other obects and advantages of the invention will appear in the course of the following description of one particular embodiment thereof chosen to illustrate its novel principles.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a typical dispenser in which the invention may be employed, a part of the cover being broken away.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1 looking at the side opposite from that appearing in the perspective, the gear casing being removed, and showing diagrammatically the gearing for driving the feed and peeler discs, the top cover of the machine being omitted.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the front part of the machine.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view of the machine taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view of the machine taken on line 55 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the machine comprises a casing 10 in which is mounted a spool 12 carrying a roll of pressure sensitive adhesive tape 14 wound with the adhesive coating of the tape on the inside. The tape strip 16 is led from the roll of tape over a series of feed discs 13 (Fig. 3) around which the tape passes through a sufficient arc to adhere firmly thereto so that by the rotation of the feed discs the tape will be drawn from the roll 14. in order to peel the strip from the feed discs 18, a series of peeler discs 21} is provided which preferably have toothed peripheries, so as to reduce the area in engagement with the surface of the tape. The feed discs are mounted on the shaft 22 and the peeler discs are mounted on the shaft 24. These shafts are shown as square, the discs having similarly shaped apertures therein so that they may be driven by rotation of the shafts.

Suitable gearing is provided for rotating the shafts at different speeds, the gear ratio and relative diameters of the discs being such that the peeler discs are driven at substantially higher peripheral speed than the feed discs. Ordinarily this difference in speed is on the order to 2 to 1, although this particulamtio is not essential so long as the peeler discs are driven enough faster than the feed discs so that the tape cannot firmly adhere to the peeler discs. In the particular example shown the discs are driven by means of a large gear 26 which is driven by pawls 28 engaged by a ratchet wheel 3th mounted on a shaft 32, the other end of which carries a reciprocable hand crank 34. Any other suitable driving means, either manual or power operated, may be employed. It is usually found desirable to mount deflector plates 36 between the peeler discs, these extending slightly beyond the peripheries of the discs so as to guide the tape away from contact with the discs and prevent any possibility of the tape following along with the discs and becoming entangled in the machine.

An examination of Fig. 3 shows that where the peripheries of the feed discs and peeler discs intersect or overlap, as indicated at the point A, there is an angle of approximately between the tangents to the discs. Where the present invention is not used, the tape being adhered to the feed discs naturally follows the discs around to the apex of this angle, where it is engaged by peeler discs. The teeth of the peeler discs then engage this portion of the tape approximately at right angles, and give the tape a continuous series of sharp bends or creases so as to form the tape into a sharp curl. This is particularly true in the case of very thin or flexible tapes. In the present invention means are provided for preventing the formation of this curl by applying a drag or tension to the tape beyond the point where it leaves the feed discs. This may be accomplished by means acting to press the tape against the peeler discs, the slippage drag between the discs and tape applying the tension thereto. Referring particularly to Fig. 3 a pad 38 of flexible material such as felt is pressed against the tape at a point beyond the point of intersection A. The pad is shown as mounted in a channel member 40 which is mounted on the transverse bar of a yoke 42 upon which it is loosely retained by a clamping plate 44 held in spaced relation to the yoke by bolts 46 passing through spacing sleeves 48. The channel 40 and pad 38 are cut away to permit up and down movement between spacing sleeves. The pad and its carrier channel are urged downwardly by spring means such as the flat leaf spring 50, shown particularly in Figs. 3 and 5. The pad 38 preferably has its rear or throat corner 52 rounded so that the tape will slide around it without the pad corner itself exerting too much curling action on the tape. The tension exerted on the tape by the combined action of the pad and the rapidly moving peeler discs tends to hold the tape out of the angle at the point A, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, the tape extending more or less straight from a point of tangency where it leaves the feed discs. The considerable drag or stretch also tends to exert a straightening action on the tape so as to remove the natural tendency of the tape to curl due to the fact that it is supplied in roll form and is fed by being passed partly around the feed discs. The tape will thus leave the machine in an effectively straightened condition so that it may be easily handled and used.

Any suitable means for cutting the tape may be employed, but preferably a tear-off blade 60 is provided which is clamped to the yoke bar 42 and is located in a plane approximately at right angles to the plane of the tape as it leaves the peeler discs. A simple upward pull on the tape will bring it against the edge of the knife.

It is desirable to mount the pressure pad and knife in such manner that they may be readily swung out of the way, when it is desired to clean the discs or to introduce the end of a new roll of tape. For this purpose yoke bar 42 has its end portions bent over to form arms 64 pivoted on pivots 66, carried by the side walls of the casing 10. The full lines in Fig. 3 illustrate the yoke and the parts carried thereby in operative position, in which it is locked by means of a spring plunger 68 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The dotted line position in Fig. 3 shows the parts swung upwardly and rested against suitable pins 70.

In order to prevent accidental cutting of the fingers on the edge of the knife 60 when the parts are swung to the dotted line position, a knife-edge guard is preferably provided. In the construction shown this comprises a bent plate 72 slidably mounted on the ends of bolts 46 and normally urged into blade protecting position by coiled springs 74 mounted on plungers 76 fixed to the plate 72, and arranged to slide through holes in bracket plates 78. When the pad and knife assembly is swung down to operative position, as shown in full line in Fig. 3, the ends of the plungers contact fixed pins 80 mounted in the side walls of the casing which hold back the guard plate 72 so as to expose the edge of the knife 60 and permit the tape to be drawn against it and cut off.

In instances where it is desired to slit the tape longitudinally as it is fed, one or more slitting knives may be provided as indicated at 82. These are mounted in bracket blocks 84 which may be clamped in desired position on the yoke 42 by the set screws 86. By mounting the slitter knives on the pivoted 'yoke assembly, they are also moved out of the way when a new piece of tape is to be inserted or the machine is to be cleaned.

While one preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be understood that changes may be made therein and the invention embodied in other structures. It is not, therefore, the intention to limit the patent to the specific construction illustrated, but to cover the invention broadly in whatever form its principles may be utilized.

We claim:

1. In a tacky tape dispenser, feed discs to which the tape is adhered, peeler discs overlapping the peripheries of the feed discs for peeling the tape from the feed discs, means for rotating said feed discs and peeler discs in the same direction but at different speeds, the peripheral speed of the peeler discs being greater than that of the feed discs, a pressure pad mounted adjacent to the peripheries of the peeler discs for engaging the tape and pressing it into engagement with such peeler discs at a point beyond the apex of the angle of intersection of the peripheries of the feed and peeler discs, a carrier for the pad, means for mounting the carrier for pivotal movement about anaxis parallel to the axes of the feed and peeler discs so that the carrier and the pad carried thereby may be swung to an inoperative position so as to permit the cleaning of the discs and introduction of a new piece of tape, a knife carried by the pad carrier and a guard for guarding the edge of the knife, said guard being movably mounted on the carrier and being provided with spring means to project the guard into knife protecting position when the pad, pad carrier and knife are moved to inoperative position.

2. In a tacky tape dispenser, feed discs to which the tape is adhered, peeler discs overlapping the peripheries of the feed discs for peeling the tape from the feed discs, means for rotating said feed discs and peeler discs in the same direction but at different speeds, the peripheral speed of the peeler discs being greater than that of the feed discs, a pressure pad mounted adjacent to the peripheries of the peeler discs for engaging the tape and pressing it into engagement with such peeler discs at a point beyond the apex of the angle of intersection of the peripheries of the feed and peeler discs, a carrier for the pad, means for mounting the carrier so that it and the pad carried thereby may be moved to an inoperative position so as to permit the cleaning of the discs and introduction of a new piece of tape, a knife carried by the pad carrier, and a movable guard carried by the pad carrier for guarding the edge of the knife when the pad, pad carrier and knife are moved in inoperative position, said guard comprising a movable guard plate and spring means for advancing said guard plate into guarding position, and stop means engaged by said guard plate when the pad carrier and knife assembly are moved to operative position for retracting said guard plate and exposing the knife so that it may be used for severing the tape.

3. In a tacky tape dispenser, feed discs to which the tape is adhered, peeler discs overlapping the peripheries of the feed discs for peeling the tape from the feed discs, means for rotating said feed discs and peeler discs in the same direction but at different speeds, the peripheral speed of the peeler discs being greater than that of the feed discs, and a pressure member extending transversely adjacent to the peripheries of the peeler discs at a point in the bight between the respective sets of discs but slightly beyond the apex of the angle of the intersection of the peripheries of the feed and peeler discs, for engaging the tape and pressing it into slipping contact with such peeler discs with a pressure sutficient to cause the peeler discs in their frictional engagement with the tape to exert a longitudinal pull thereon tending to straighten the tape.

4. In a tacky tape dispenser, feed discs to which the tape is adhered, peeler discs overlapping the peripheries of the feed discs for peeling the tape from the feed discs, means for rotating said feed discs and peeler discs in the same direction but at different speeds, the peripheral speed of the peeler discs being greater than that of the feed discs, and a transversely extending pressure pad mounted adjacent to the peripheries of the peeler discs just beyond the apex of the angle of intersection of the peripheries of the feed and peeler discs, said pressure pad having a substantially flat surface tangential to the peripheries of the peeler discs and at a near right angle to the peripheries of the feed discs at said angle of intersection, said pad having a rounded corner over which the tape passing from the feed discs to the peeler discs travels.

5. In a tacky tape dispenser, feed discs to which the tape is adhered, peeler discs overlapping the peripheries of the feed discs for peeling the tape from the feed discs, means for rotating said feed discs and peeler discs in the same direction but at different speeds, the peripheral speed of the peeler discs being greater than that of the feed discs, a transversely extending yielding pressure member mounted adjacent to the peripheries of the peeler discs for engaging the tape and pressing it into engagement with such peeler discs at a point beyond the apex of the angle of intersection of the peripheries of the feed and peeler discs, a carrier yoke for the pressure member and means for mounting the carrier yoke so that it and the pressure member carried thereby may be moved to an inoperative position so as to permit the cleaning of the discs and introduction of a new piece of tape, a transversely mounted severing knife carried by the pressure member carrier yoke,a slitter knife bracket adjustably mounted on the carrier yoke, said slitter knife having an edge adapted to slit the tape as it passes over the feed discs, said slitter knife being moved into inoperative position when said carrier yoke and pressure member are moved to such position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,262,383 Otarii Apr. 9, 1918 1,860,668 Gillet May 31, 1932 1,972,851 McCarthy Sept. 4, 1934 2,290,223 Black et a1 July 21, 1942 2,540,697 Staples Feb. 6, 1951 2,670,043 Krueger et a1 Feb. 23, 1954 2,710,063 Krueger June 7, 1955 

